Cork padding for ironing machines



Aug. 23, 1932. R GRUPE I 1,873,578

CORK PADDING FOR IRONING MACHINES Fileqoct. 15. 1950 Patented Aug. 23, 1 93 2 T N TEb .sTATEsf PATE T;-o srcs WII LIAM F. enurnor. nynnnunslriiwnw JERSEY, AssIGnon TQ Ann mar a-de COMPANY, or LANCASTER, rENNsYLvaNIaa QOREQBATION or PENNSYLVANIA coax tannins non mourns MACHINES Application filed October 13, 1930. serial'No; 488,501.

l This invention relates to paddings forrolls and the=:-like'of ironing and otherlaunder-v ing machines."

. According to the present inventiomthe pad is formed from a mass of substantially] fiat cork particles or like material molded and bonded torone another wherebythe product is of high utility for use as padding forrolls of ironingand other laundering machines.

and also as padding for fiat and slightlyv pressing machines; r V I In-my copending application, entitled Cork envelopes for laundry rolls, filed June 9;

curved types of machines such as garment 1924*, andbearing Serial No. 719,009, Patent No.:"1,833,4:61, I have'set forth, a cork en; velope'formed of substantially fiat particles ofcork molded andbonded to form an inter bonded mass ofcorkparticles, inwhich the cork particles in the resulting facing for the roll are disposedsubstantially parallel to the direction of pressure to which the roll facing or fiat bed pad is subjected during the stage of ironing or the like operation.

' The presentinvention distinguishes from my co-pending application Serial-No. 5,089 filed January 27, 1925, for a cork padding for laundry rolls in which: application. I have described'and claimed a resilientifacing for ir'oningand like rolls formed of amass ofv inherentlyfiat cork particles interbonded to :oneanother incmore or less overlapping relation to disposejthe flatfaces of the particles substantially atright angles to the die M rectionofpressure exerted duringthe stage of-ironing or the like. a h

In the present invention, the mass is formed of cork Waste known commercially as cork W091. Such cork wooliusually,comprises substantially flat particles of varying thicknessesand superficial area's similar'to wood shavings and ofvarying lengthsgwidths and thicknesses, more or lesstwisted orintermatted .with one another; preferably, the commercialcork wool is broken up by means of a grinding or similar machine.

7 The cork wool is charged into a mold of any suitable type and compressedand baked. The baked mass'after cooling consists of cork -I particles which are moreorlessflattened out I panying draw ng, .in which in varyingidirections and which forinfelted masses. The cork particles of, the respective V masses are interbonded to one'another and varying magnitudes of non-bonded relation and intervening air spaces of varying extents.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the followingdetail-description and the accoms Fig. lis an endelevation ofa laundrygroll provided with a" cork facing embodying my invention; I v y Fig.2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1,. but show:

ing the rolland its facingbroken away at one side; Fig.13 is a I stantially fiat pad embodying my invention;

Fig. 4E isa section on l-def Fig.3; and.

Fig. ;5 is a magnified View. showing gener ally the characterof inter natting and interbonding of the cork. particles; at one corner of the pad.

Referring to Eigs j l and 2, the roll top perspective view-of a sub? of any approved or regulation type employed in laundrying and similar machines. a I lnlllgs. l and2, the facing for theroll 10 is indic'atedas formed of two lengths 11,.12

extending serially along the length [of the roll; lO but it will be understood that the number of sections; may be varied as desired.

Each length, of roll facing ispreferably formed ofsections extending peripherally to serye-asa complete envelope about the effec tive surface ofthe rolllO. The engaging," lateral edges of such sections are preferably ofa contour whereby the engagement of the.

sections with the roll. proper andwith the; key is most effectively attained. I. g

It will, be understood that in the use of a cork facing embodying my invention the cork facing may be secured by shellac or other adhesive to the roll and that the cork facing may be surrounded by sheathings of linen, cotton or the like,sewedby stitchin s or ecpaivalentv means so as. to be heldtaut y about thejeffectivefaces of the cork-sections. i In Figs. 3 andt, I haveshown a formof pad 14 suitable for use on the so-called flat types, as in garment ironing or pressing machines and similar types, wherein the pad is positioned on the lower steam chest member or equivalent, the upper face of which is usually slightly convex. However, such up.-

' per surface may be flat and my'pad of corresponding shape.

Such substantially flat pad 1A is usually ofenlargedj diameter at one edge 15' and of a reduceddiam'eter at its may be of any desired thickness.

A circular shaped facing such as the facing formed by sections 11', 12, be produced pursuant to the general procedure of charging themoldand baking: as i is: described:

in my aforesaid patent; in the present ap; plication the cork wool is charged into a moldformed oftw'o concentric mold. members,the space between the two mold members conforming to the thickness of the-resuiting annular mold product, i. e., the unitary se'c -tionl The cork wool is charged into the moldin successive charges, and an annular-plunger passed-through the moldto compress the charge to the desired degree of compression. Successive charges of cork wool are continued and compressed in a. like manner and'tolike extent until the mold has 7 been filled. A' closureplate is their clamped atthecharging end of the mold tohold the total. charge at the desired compression: The range of compression may vary f-romthat represented by a reduction of volume from two volumes to one to that represented f by the reduction of volume from six volumes desired, degree of baking; f It will be understood that other binders The temperature ofbak-ing'- may F; to 575 F. .whiletheperiod charge andthe to one. vary-from 300 of baking depends upon the may be. added to the charge in: addition to the resins, natural-in cork.

spondingto the mold length the: laundry roll, or of on e-lialf or other gaging lateral faces, annulus along a Themolded product is then removed'fromi the niolcli. The product is substantially a complete annulus extending unitarily about its circular periphery andfor alength corre- "length of the mold. Suchmaybe the complete length of fractional part thereof as measuredin the direction of" theaxis of'the roll. V

. However, the annular moulded product is preferably severed in the general direction E of" itslength to affordxmore ready application to the surface of'theroll. The line of severing ispref-erably off a contour to provide increased anchorageofthe sections by-mutua-lengagement.

substantially rectilinearly and axially extencling' length indicated at 1-7 see-Figs: 1; and 2, thenalong a linei-ndicated at 'l8extendingspirallyyabou-t, the annulus and finally.-term-inatingat the substantially opposite edge" l6, and

' Preferably,zthe charge is As one form of--mutua1ly en- I sever at one side of the rectilinear and axially extending line in dicated at 19. At theopposite side, the annulus is severed axially, as is indicated at 20,

It'will be observed hat such forms of mutually engaging faces of the sections afilord mutual. anchoring between. the sections during. the stages when the roll; facing en.-: counters buttons and other raisediorthickez ened portions of .the articles beingi laundered orpressed. i i

Upon. any. lower section, encountering sushi elevate d or raisedv portions, there is a. tendency? of .the section to. creep peripherally; about;

the roll. opposite to the directionofractuatiom of the roll, and II have. discovered that the: abovev and: likeJnon-rectilinear forms. OfLGOIk. tacting edges between the. sections; attain 'a, highly improved anchorage of the sectionas a whole. I V Y In a. similar manner, the peripherally ex:

tending engaging faces ofthe'roltlfacings' may beformedof non-rectilinear.-.faces'. to

thereby .secure' anchorage mutuallyibetween;

the respective lengths longitudinally of uthe;

roll. p In the form of pads shown. in: Fig.3, the;

same. may be produced by charging .cork;

wool or the like. into a mold having. the

general configuration of thatof the product; preferably, such mold is iof a capacity formoldinga desired'numbergsuchas Q six or more pads at a time.

fed in successive;

increments. and av plunger havingithe con-1 figuration of the interior of the mold i's-employed to compress thechargeasthe-increments are added: andto attain-a uniform predetermined: compression of ithechargej V The range ofcompressionmay vary from t'hafi represented bythe reductionof volume from} three volumes to one: 'volume a-ndg'f romsixv volumes to one volume;

- The mold i then closed with the charge 1 under the desired compression and -the mold and its charge: are subjected to baking. The period of'baking depends upon the -tem era-L 'ture of baking; the temperature may vary from 300 Fahrenheitto 575 Fahrenheit Upon completion of the baking operation,

the product is allowed; tocool- "while under 1 compression within the mold;

"The prod/ct i then ,severed' along lines corresponding to'the flat faces of the} flat;

pad showninFig. 3 to form the flat pads of the desired; thickness. v

If it is desired to impart a slight curvature to the pad of the form shown in Fig. 3, such result is attained by placing the flat pad between heated shaping irons or clamps respectively having convex and concave faces cor- I responding to the desired curvature. Upon raising the temperature of the cork pad to the temperature of approximately 300 F., the mass becomes of a yielding nature and 19 the pad is allowed to cool under compression of the shaping irons.

It will be understood that the flat pads may be of any desired shapes, including other forms of curved contour or with square corners or other general rectilinear outline.

Facings for rolls may also be produced by formingfiat sections of rectangular form, and bending the sections by the clamping procedure set forth hereinabove, and apply- 20 ing the bent sections peripherally about the roll to form a complete envelope or facing for the roll.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated diagrammatically in magnified view the constitution of the mass of the complete product formed according to my present invention. This View presents the cork mass as seen through a magnifying glass. The illustration is taken at one corner of the intersecting faces 20, 21

of the product. It will be noted that the individual cork particles as indicated at 22, 23 are flattened out for considerable lengths and that the planes of flattening are transverse to one another. There are also formed portions as indicated at 24, 25 where the cork ment of the cork particles when under. pressure and affording interflexing o fthe cork particles without danger of rupture. The air spaces intervening between the regions of bonding add to the resiliency of the mass.

It will be understood that the distribution of the resins in the baking stage takes place at a temperature in excess of that of ironing stage or similar subsequent procedure in theuse of the facing, whereby the function of.

interbonding by the resins continues indefi nitely.

In the use of pads embodying my present invention, upon elevation of the laundering or pressing machine to the usual temperatures of operationof the same, the cork particles attain a resiliency combined with permanency of a nature which is highly adaptcork particles similarly asabove set forth It will be observed that the parthe portion ofthe .facingin immediate contact with the button yields sufiiciently to permit the buttonto pass without breakage or obstructing the transit of the garment through. the ironing'machine.

My cork product may be formed of fiat in combination with resilient material such as the so-calledcommercial rubbervor other rubber compositions, including latexand synthetic rubber and the various commercial rubber substitutes, including sulphurated Y castor oil; In suchcombination, the. cork'8 product after the baking operation, and while atan elevated temperature, issubmerged withina bath containing a .resilient material of the above character, together with suitable vulcanizing ingredients, in which bath the cork product is kept until cooled, the cooling of the air between the cork particles creating-a vacuum .and thus drawing in by absorption or like process the resilient rubber material. After the desired 9 amount of rubber material has been .thusabsorbed, the 'resultingproduct is subject fto'a temperature sufficient to .vulcanize the resilient material disposed in the locatlons be tween the cork particles. a v.

7 By the term flat in designation ofthe particlesof cork employeda's the raw mate rial. as hereinabove described and asset forth in the claims, I define the same as particles havingv fiat faces disposedon substantially opposite sides, the dimensions of the'flat faces of any particle being many times ness of such particle.

Whereas, I have described my invention". 110 by reference'to specific. forms thereof, itwill be understood that many changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaimzm .1..A resilient facing for ironing apparatus and the like comprising a mass formed of cork material embodying substantially fiat particles of varying dimensions and disgreater than thezthiokness or. average thickposed in overlapping relation to one another lzo within the mass under compression and bonded to one another at spaced locations by a medium' maintainlngats,bondmg action -under ironing conditions, the planes: .of

some of said fiat particle's being angularly..125 V disposed relative to the planes of other of said particles within the mass.

2. A resilient facing for ironing apparatus and the like comprising a baked mass formed of cork material embodying substan-ta1 0 i tially flat-particles of varying dimensions and disposed in overlapping relation to one another Within the mass under compression and bonded-to "one another at spaced locations'by a resin containing medium maintaining its bonding action under ironing con- 1ditionstheplanes of some of said-flat particles being angularly disposed relative to the planes of other of said particles within the mass and a resilient medium interposed-between said particles, said' resilient medium being disposed throughout 'theinterior of said mass.

"3. A resilient facing 'for ironing apparatus and'the'like comprising a mass formed "offlcork' WOOl" embodying substantially fiat particles of varying dimensions and disposed'in overlapping relation to one another Withinthe mass under compression "and "-a medium maintaining its'bonding' action under ironing conditions, the planes of some 1 of said 'fiatparticles being angular-1y dis- "posed relative to the planes of other of said medium disposed between said [spaced locations; said resilient medium being disposed throughout the interior of said mass.

4. A' resilient facing for ironing apparatus and the like comprising a baked mass -"for'm'ed'of cork Wool embodying substanr tially'flat particles of'varying dimensions I and disposed injoverlapping relation to one 'anothenwithiri the mass under compression and bonded to one another at spaced'locations by r a medium maintaining its bonding V -action under ironing conditions,-theplanes of some of said flat particles being angularly disposed relative to the planes of other of said particles Within the- 'mass, .air spaces disposed "between said bonded locations, and

- aresilient medium disposed between said 7 imy hand.

Ispaced locations, said air spaces and said resilient medium being disposed' throughout the interior of said mass. -5. A resilient facing for ironing" apparatus andthe like comprising a mass formed 'of'co'rk- Wool embodying substantially flat particles 'of'varying dimensions and disposed inoverlapping relation to one'another within the mass under compression and bonded to one another at spaced locations ,by a resin containing medium maintaining its bOI'lCllIlgflCtlOII UIIClGT'lIOIllIlgCOI1d1l3lOI1S,'

the'planes of some of-said' fiatparticlesbe i-ng angularly disposed relative to the planes 'of other I of said particles 'Within the mass, and a resilient medium disposed between said-s'paced'locations, said resilient medium 'aififl.

being disposed throughout the interior of I said mass.

In testimony :WILLIAM FLGRUPE,

whereof I have hereunto set bonded to one another at'spaced locations .by

particles'within the mass, and a resilient P 

